


graphomania checkmate

by summerdayghost



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/F, Lima Syndrome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2019-12-26 05:26:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18276695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerdayghost/pseuds/summerdayghost
Summary: Moments from when Rey was tasked with getting information out of Phasma.





	graphomania checkmate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lucymonster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucymonster/gifts).



Rey had never done anything like this. There were a lot of things Rey had never done. The amazing adventures she had been on in recent times could not compensate for what she lacked in life experience.

One would think previously noted adventures would take some of the edge off of her current task. She had faced down death itself multiple times. Phasma was in no state to hurt her. She had no ability, no leverage. All she was good for right now was information. Rey shouldn’t be scared, and she wasn’t. Not exactly. Nervous would be the more apt term. There was something about the responsibility and the anticipation she couldn’t shake.

Off the top of Rey’s head she could name five or ten or twenty people who would be more qualified to do this, be better suited to this job. The problem was that they couldn’t be as detached about it as she could. They all had some personal connection that Phasma could grab onto and exploit in a way Rey didn’t.

She took a few calming breaths before she stepped into Phasma’s cell. General Organa wouldn’t have asked this of her if she didn’t believe Rey was capable of it, right? Rey had nothing to worry about.

The walls of Phasma’s cell were as white as they could get them after the last prisoner they had kept in there. He had somehow gotten a pen (or a pencil or a marker or all of the above, it was different depending on who told her about it) and he wrote all over the walls. Even in areas where it didn’t make sense that he would be able to reach like the ceiling. There was not a single square inch left uncovered. Luckily for the Resistance it was all information regarding the First Order. Unluckily for the Resistance it was all either completely useless, like birthdays of radar technicians, or blatantly false and intended to start wild goose chases, like maps and diagrams of secret hiding places that didn’t exist. They scrubbed the cell down for days and the walls had a grey quality to them that would probably never go away. Rey didn’t know what exactly became of the prisoner who did that.

There was absolutely nothing in Phasma’s cell, not even a bed. She could sleep on the floor although there were rumors that she slept standing up. Phasma was standing in the corner when Rey entered the cell. The idea was for her to have absolutely nothing to interact with, to leave her alone with nothing but her own mind. After so long she had to be desperate for company. Any sane person would be. Rey could imagine how she felt on some level.

In the months since Phasma had been captured by the Resistance her hair had grown longer than she would have ever let it get it she had any say it. Her yellow hair was partially covering her eyes. They dressed her loose fitting white clothes, and Rey couldn’t help but wonder if that was actually a good idea. All of her stormtroopers had been white.

Phasma knew Rey was there from before Rey had even stepped into the room. She too well trained not to and Rey knew it. She of course didn’t acknowledge her at all.

Rey squared her shoulders staying close to the door that was on the other side of the room from Phasma, “Good evening.”

Phasma continued to ignore her rather than asking if it really was evening like Rey expected. She wasn’t even looking in her general direction. Maybe she had gone mad in all her time spent alone. That sort of thing wasn’t unheard of. Actually, it was way more common than the Resistance would ever be comfortable openly acknowledging.

In the silence Rey scrutinized Phasma’s appearance further. More specially the scars. She had taken a great fall into fire and was unconscious when the Resistance found her. While her whole body had not been touched significant portions of it had. By now the parts that had been burned scarred over as opposed to being the wretched wounds Rey had seen the last time she saw her. Most of them weren’t horribly visible. Phasma’s clothes covered ninety percent of them, but some of the poked out around her neck and arms and legs.

Rey was about the jump into her next question when Phasma finally spoke, “You want to know why my soldiers are so loyal.”

It was more more than that and Rey needed to inform her of it, “Well—”

Phasma finally looked at Rey her glare more intimidating than Rey had previously prepared herself for, “It’s because they love me.”

She couldn’t imagine someone loving the woman in front of her.

***

To be honest, this whole process was frustrating. Every visit was filled with rambling non-answers or silence. No inbetween.

It took a lot of effort for Rey not to let herself feel too discourcouraged. No one ever said this would be easy (no one ever said it would be quite this hard either, but Rey was choosing not to focus on that).

***

Phasma was laying on the floor staring at the ceiling. Even vertical her posture was perfect.

Phasma didn’t laugh as she spoke but Rey could still tell she was being made fun of, “You aren’t going to get anything more out of me, little girl.”

Rey crushed down the impulse to correct her about the little girl part, “You’ve given me nothing at all.”

She gave her a quick glance, “That’s what you think.”

***

Phasma never complained about the food. She either had a stomach of iron or was really good at turning the other cheek. They only kept her fed because they had more use for her alive than dead and not because they like her. As a result her food was deliberately made terrible.

This didn’t use to bother Rey, but now she couldn’t help but suppress a wince as Phasma took another bite of that weird white grey stuff.

She swallowed, “So tell me, is Jakku actually warmer in the winter like they say it is?”

Rey didn’t realize that she was moving until she froze, “I’m the one asking questions here.”

Later on Rey would recognize this moment as a turning point. It wasn’t checkmate per say, but Phasma certainly had her in check.

***

“You would have been better off as one of my soldiers. I would have made sure that you were cared for,” Phasma is walking towards her.

The ‘unlike your parents’ went unsaid.

Rey didn’t say anything. She couldn’t.

“Although, ultimately I’m glad things are the way they are. If you were one of mine I couldn’t do this,” Phasma stroked the side of her face.

Phasma did nothing more but hold her hand there for a few seconds longer. It was the implication, the innuendo, that mattered more than the action. With her hand she did her best to get across to Rey what she would be doing if it weren’t for the guards.

Even though she knew it shouldn’t, not for this woman, Rey’s heart fluttered so hard she forgot to wonder if that was a lie. She knew somehow that one day she would look back on this moment and think of herself as a fool. But that was still one day while this was now.

***

She heard about Phasma’s escape while she was eating lunch. Apparently all the was left in her room was the body of a guard. Everyone said she wrote a message in blood which sounded like the sort of mess Phasma wouldn’t get much enjoyment out of. Apparently it said, _I’ll be seeing you soldier._

Rey suddenly had great doubts about the future.


End file.
